Mandakini recalls Raj Kapoor's passion, says others just finish films

Mandakini recalls working with Raj Kapoor on 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili', calling the experience a spiritual journey. She contrasts his creative vision with directors who only wanted to 'finish' films and shares anecdotes about the set and her co-star.

Veteran actor Mandakini recalled her experience of working with legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, describing the making of ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ as a deeply creative and emotional journey where everyone on the set worked with complete dedication.

In a conversation with ANI, Mandakini said her experience of working with Raj Kapoor was very different from that of working with other directors later in her career, whom she felt were more focused on completing films rather than creating them. Mandakini, who worked with Raj Kapoor in ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’, said meeting the filmmaker was a unique experience and that his gentle way of explaining scenes made actors feel comfortable. "Unka tarika aesa tha ki aap unse koi sawaal hi nahi karte the... itna pyaar se, itna gentle jaise aapka family member aapse karwa raha ho," Mandakini said.

A Spiritual On-Set Atmosphere

Recalling the atmosphere on the sets of the film, she said it felt like a spiritual place where everyone performed their role with dedication. "When the shooting started, each scene had to be explained. It felt like a spiritual place where everyone was doing their own work with a spiritual feeling. The cameraman was doing his role, the director was doing his role, the dance master was doing his role. Everyone was doing their own work like worship," she said.

Mandakini also admitted that she was completely immersed in Raj Kapoor’s filmmaking process and was mesmerised while working with the legendary filmmaker.

The Iconic Waterfall Scene

Recalling the much-talked-about waterfall scene from the film, she said she did not feel nervous despite being only 16 years old at the time, as she was completely immersed in the moment. When asked if she felt “hypnotised” during the shoot, Mandakini said, “Haan... jaise koi feeling hi nahi hai. Like woh bol rahe hain yahan dekho, yeh karna hai... haan ji. It was like aap beh rahe ho jaise (It felt like you were just flowing with it).”

'Creating a Film vs Finishing a Film'

Comparing Raj Kapoor’s approach with other filmmakers she worked with later, Mandakini said there was a difference between directors who wanted to create a film and those who only wanted to finish one. "Do tarah ke directors hote hain na. Ek toh woh jo movies banate hain, jinko sach mein movie banani hoti hai. Aur doosre woh hote hain jinko bas movie khatam karni hoti hai, jaldi khatam karo, kisi ko deni hai, jaldi release karni hai. Toh difference toh tha,” she said. (There are two kinds of directors. One kind is those who truly want to make a film, they are driven by the vision of creating something meaningful. And then there are those who are only focused on finishing the film, completing it quickly, handing it over, and moving on to the next thing. That difference is very clear. There were only a few directors who actually wanted to create a film.)

She added that Raj Kapoor’s filmmaking involved a certain passion and vision that was not common among everyone. "It is called madness. When a person thinks that he has to do everything according to his thoughts. He has to see what he has thought and seen on the screen. Everything should look like poetry. Everything should flow. It's very difficult. This doesn't happen in everyone," Mandakini said.

A Protective Mentor

Recalling her experience during the making of ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’, Mandakini said Raj Kapoor was extremely protective of her as a young newcomer. She said she used to travel for outdoor shoots with her father and sister, and Raj Kapoor would ensure their safety and comfort. "He cared a lot for me. When we used to go outdoors, my father and sister were always with me. He would make sure we had a proper room, that we stayed inside, ate on time and slept properly because we had to leave early morning for shooting," she said.

Born as Yasmeen, Mandakini also recalled how she got her popular screen name and said the name gave her a distinct identity following the success of ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’. “It was a screen name only…mujhe ek pehchaan mili Mandakini se us movie se (‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’)..to aaj puri duniya Mandakini ke naam se jaanti hai…people love me so much there are so many fans and they know me in and out even my real name,” she added.

Mandakini shared that Raj Kapoor treated her with a lot of “love” on sets and created an atmosphere that felt personal and homely.

On Co-star Rajiv Kapoor

Talking about her co-star Rajiv Kapoor, who played the lead opposite her in the film, Mandakini said he was talented, but his career did not progress like other members of the Kapoor family. She recalled that Rajiv Kapoor had a different approach towards his career and felt that opportunities should come to him because he was Raj Kapoor’s son. "He had everything. But he felt that someone should come to him. Because I am Raj Kapoor's son, people should come to me for the role," she said.

Mandakini said she had once advised him to be more proactive and meet filmmakers instead of waiting for offers. "We told him once, we were all sitting in a friend's room. I said, someone has come, you should also go. You should be proactive. You will meet people and tell them," she recalled.

Mandakini said that despite the different paths their careers took, her overall experience of working with Rajiv Kapoor and other actors of that era remained positive and enjoyable. (ANI)

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